“The officers could hold a reasonable belief that it was necessary to use deadly physical force to protect themselves and others against the threatened use of deadly force by Mr. Hammelton.”

Coconino County Attorney's Office report

After lifesaving measures were attempted, Hammelton was pronounced dead at the scene with gunshot wounds to his head and torso, records said.

In earlier reports, Hammelton's last name was misspelled as "Hamilton."

In its report on the shooting, the Coconino County Attorney's Office noted that "the officers could hold a reasonable belief that it was necessary to use deadly physical force to protect themselves and others against the threatened use of deadly force by Mr. Hammelton."

Accordingly, the County Attorney's Office declined to file charges against any of the officers involved, noting in records that the facts of the case "do not support a reasonable expectation of conviction at trial."

As is often the case in police shootings, the investigators are not intending to validate the shooting so much as to ensure that no crime had been committed by the officers.

It was not the only recent controversy involving Flagstaff police officers.